New Jersey attorney advertising rules sit in Rules 7.1 to 7.5 of the New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC), quoted from the New Jersey Courts' published text as amended through September 1, 2018.
The ABA Model Rules bind no one until adopted; the stack around the state versions is in lawyer advertising rules.
Enforcement, and the two 2025 turns
New Jersey does not pre-screen ads: an April 2018 notice said the state requires no pre-publication review, and the Committee on Attorney Advertising (Court Rule 1:19A) acts on grievances.
Recent turns: Opinion 49 on testimonials (September 30, 2025, superseding Opinions 15 and 33) and In re Opinion No. 735 on keyword bidding (May 22, 2025, 4 to 1).
What the New Jersey lawyer advertising rules cover
New Jersey Rule 7.1: the content standard
RPC 7.1(a) bans false or misleading communications about the lawyer, the lawyer's services, or any matter the lawyer is or seeks to be involved in, including those likely to create an unjustified expectation about results.
The model rule reaches unjustified expectations only by comment; New Jersey's RPC 7.1(a) keeps them in the rule text, compared comment by comment in ABA Model Rule 7.1.
RPC 7.1(b) makes it unethical to use an ad the committee disapproved, or one substantially the same, unless reversed or modified.
RPC 7.1(a)(4) confines fee statements to categories such as a fixed or contingent fee for a specific service or hourly rates with a note that totals vary.
Comparisons, honors and award badges
RPC 7.1(a)(3), amended November 2, 2009, requires a comparison with other lawyers' services to name the comparing organization, rest on a substantiated basis, and carry, readily discernibly, "No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey."
The committee's May 5, 2021 Notice to the Bar requires every award reference, badges included, to carry nearby a methodology description (a link works), the issuer's name and the "no aspect" disclaimer.
It names "AV Preeminent," "Super Lawyers" and similar awards, calls awards issued for a price, for joining, or based on website participation "suspect," and for superlative names permits only a statement of inclusion in the list, not a "Super Lawyer" label.
- Methodology described next to the badge (a link works).
- Issuing organization named next to the badge.
- The "no aspect" disclaimer, readily discernible.
Testimonials: Opinion 49
Under Opinion 49 (September 30, 2025), testimonials are allowed if the person is identified by full name, last name and first initial, last name only, first name only, or initials.
One referring to past performance needs the conspicuous disclaimer "Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances."
On a site or social media, it can sit in the video or directly above or below the link.
Opinion 49 also strips comparative words ("the best," "the only," "the top," "the ultimate"), bars paying for endorsements or testimonials (RPC 7.3(d)), requires a dramatization disclosure when an actor portrays a real client, and lawyers may owe the committee the person's full name and contact information on request.
What RPC 7.2 adds: message and records
RPC 7.2(a), amended effective January 1, 2004, requires all ads to be predominantly informational and bans attention techniques that depend on absurdity unrelated to choosing counsel.
In televised advertising it also bans drawings, animations, dramatizations, music and lyrics; the ban is written for TV, not extended here to web video.
RPC 7.2(b), amended effective September 1, 2018, requires keeping every ad or written communication for 3 years with a when-and-where record, plus a monthly capture of all website material, also kept 3 years.
The same 2018 notice said content posted and deleted within a month should still be retained, and that outside website help can hold the data.
Solicitation: RPC 7.3
RPC 7.3(b) bars contact when the person cannot exercise reasonable judgment, has asked not to be contacted, or where contact involves coercion, duress or harassment.
Paragraph (b)(4), adopted April 28, 1997, bars contact about potential compensation from a specific mass-disaster event for 30 days; that covers mass disasters, not accidents generally.
For other specific events, RPC 7.3(b)(5) allows targeted solicitation only by regular-mail letter carrying "ADVERTISEMENT" on first page and envelope, using the recipient's name, and telling the reader to disregard it if already represented.
It must carry two required notices, one on how to report the letter to the committee and one that reads: "Before making your choice of attorney, you should give this matter careful thought. The selection of an attorney is an important decision."
The envelope may hold only the lawyer's name, firm, return address and "ADVERTISEMENT"; the reviewed text describes regular mail, not email or texts.
Bidding on a competitor's name: Opinion 735
In In re Opinion No. 735, decided May 22, 2025, the New Jersey Supreme Court held on a 4 to 1 vote that buying a competitor lawyer's or firm's name as a search keyword does not, in itself, violate the RPCs (Justice Fasciale dissenting).
The landing page must carry this disclaimer (quoted from the syllabus, which the Court did not write; the same wording appears in the opinion): "You arrived at this page via a paid advertisement on [insert name of search engine provider] through paid keyword search results. This website and the legal business it describes are affiliated only with [insert name of purchasing attorney] and the other attorneys referenced within this website."
Embedding a hyperlink in a competitor's name to redirect readers is different: the underlying ACPE opinion found it violates RPC 8.4(c); that finding was not appealed.
The dissent counts "most jurisdictions to consider the question" the other way.
Trade names, specialists and paying for recommendations
RPC 7.5(e) allows trade names that accurately describe the practice and are not misleading, comparative or suggestive of results, alongside a lawyer's name; the court's 2015 comment bars "Best Tax Lawyers" and "Million Dollar Personal Injury Lawyer."
RPC 7.4(a) to (d) allow a certified-specialist claim only when the communication names the certifier and states certification came from the Supreme Court of New Jersey or an ABA-approved organization; cross-state wording is in lawyer specialist advertising.
RPC 7.2(c) and 7.3(d) bar giving anything of value for recommending a lawyer, excepting the reasonable cost of permitted advertising, not-for-profit referral or legal service organization charges, and bar-operated, sponsored or approved referral service fees.
The rule text reviewed does not address internet lead generators, so this page takes no position on pay-per-lead.
Checking your NJ attorney advertising against the rules
Inventory the communications
Ads, website, landing pages, listings and mail all sit inside it.
Test the claims
Each statement against RPC 7.1(a), fee copy against (a)(4).
Attach the required wording
The "no aspect" line on comparisons and badges, the results line on testimonials, the keyword disclaimer on Opinion 735 pages.
Set the records routine
Ad copies with when-and-where records, plus a monthly website capture, kept 3 years.
More Booked Cases runs conversion tests on law firm websites and landing pages, judged by consultations and signed cases; reviewing ads against bar rules is not part of it.
This page describes the RPC text as amended through September 1, 2018 and committee guidance through September 30, 2025; confirm how a rule applies to your firm with your state bar's ethics counsel or an ethics lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Do New Jersey lawyers have to submit ads for approval before running them?
In an April 2018 notice to the bar, the state's committees said New Jersey does not require lawyers to submit ads for pre-publication review, and the Committee on Attorney Advertising acts on grievances. A lawyer can ask the committee for guidance under Court Rules 1:19A-3 and 1:19A-8.
Are client testimonials allowed in New Jersey?
Committee on Attorney Advertising Opinion 49 (September 30, 2025) permits them if the person is identified by full name, last name and first initial, last name only, first name only, or initials. A testimonial referring to past performance also needs a conspicuous results disclaimer.
Is there a 30-day rule for contacting accident victims in New Jersey?
Only for specific mass-disaster events: RPC 7.3(b)(4) bars unsolicited direct contact about potential compensation from such an event for 30 days after it. Other specific events are governed by regular-mail letter requirements, not a day count.
Can a New Jersey lawyer bid on a competitor's name in Google Ads?
In In re Opinion No. 735 (decided May 22, 2025), the New Jersey Supreme Court held that buying a competitor lawyer's or firm's name as a search keyword does not in itself violate the RPCs, on a 4 to 1 vote. The landing page must carry a court-specified disclaimer naming the search engine and the purchasing attorney.
How long must New Jersey lawyers keep copies of their ads?
RPC 7.2(b) requires keeping a copy of every ad or written communication for 3 years, with a record of when and where it was used. It also requires capturing all website material at least monthly and keeping it for 3 years.
What fee statements fit New Jersey Rule 7.1?
RPC 7.1(a)(4) treats fee statements as misleading unless they fit listed categories: the initial consultation fee, a fixed or contingent fee for a specific service, a fee range with disclosed variables, hourly rates with a note that totals vary, credit availability, and fees of a qualified legal assistance organization.